1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image detecting device for outputting image information representative of an image recorded in a given recording area, and to an image capturing system that incorporates such an image detecting device therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, there have widely been used image capturing apparatuses, which apply radiation from a radiation source to a subject (a patient) and detect the radiation that has passed through the subject with an image detector, in order to acquire radiation image information of the subject.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-014860 discloses that the temperature of a radiation detector, such as a CCD or the like, is detected by a temperature sensor and controlled to reach a predetermined temperature by way of temperature regulation, for preventing the radiation detector from suffering from dew condensation.
When an image detector such as a radiation detector or the like operates to read a detected image, i.e., to output detected image information, if a temperature regulating means, such as a cooling fan or the like, is energized to regulate the temperature of the image detector, the drive signal that energizes the temperature regulating means may potentially be added to the image information, thus degrading the quality of the read image.
If the image detector is continuously kept at a certain temperature under temperature regulation control in order to achieve a desired performance of the image detector, then energy is wastefully consumed for carrying out the temperature regulation control process. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-014860 discloses nothing concerning specific details of temperature regulation upon reading a detected image from the radiation detector.